


Break Up

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Deaf Clint Barton, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Team as Family, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 23:40:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4118896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He thought that the best thing about tonight was that they weren't fighting. Guess it took a break to make a team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Break Up

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first in a group of one-shots about the Avengers as a family and such. Various topics, pairings, people, and such will happen.

"I'm not that kind of person anymore," he whispered, begging her to believe him.

"What do you want me to think Tony?" snapped Pepper. "The stories are pretty convincing and let's face it, this wouldn't be the first time the tabloids got it right."

"You'll believe stories before you believe me?"

Believe was Tony's favorite word. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue, how it was more vowels than consonants, and how it wasn't a palindrome. But his favorite part if the word believe was that it couldn't be spelled without 'lie' in the middle. The very spelling was contrary to what the word meant.

"Don't you dare play that card!" Pepper screamed, grabbing his wrist so hard he felt the capillaries bursting and blood pooling to form a bruise.

"I wasn't trying to play any card," said Tony, shaking his head as he thought about how unfair the world was to think that only men could be abusive. "Now let go, you're hurting me."

"Do you swear that you didn't cheat on me?"

"You broke up with me already, what does it matter?"

Tony saw it coming. He could have avoided it if he wanted, but some part of him felt like he deserved the pain. A larger part of him still loved her and would do anything to make her happy, and if that meant taking the hit, he would do it. So when she punched him in the eye, he didn't bother flinching, just fell to the ground because it was what she expected.

"I never cheated on you," said Tony softly. "I never would."

Her face changed from hideous anger to deep concern, shocked at what she had done.

"Let me help you up," said Pepper, reaching down to her ex boyfriend, as if that would make it better.

"Leave me alone."

"Tony," said Pepper, her voice broken.

"That will be all, Miss Potts," said Tony with finality she had never heard him use.

"Of course, Mr. Stark."

For the rest of the week, Tony stayed in his workshop, the doors locked, music up, and coffee flowing freely, until it stopped. That was the only reason Tony had even ventured out of his fortress of mechanics and into the common area, to get more coffee.

The kitchen wasn't empty as he had hoped but that didn't stop him from going after his goal. He simply ignored Clint, expect to deposit a stack of new arrows in front of him.

"You've been down there for three days, please tell me this is not the only thing you came up with," said Clint in a way that was less rude and more concerned.

"I brought an empty mug with me," said Tony dully, waving it in the air to show the archer, his back turned.

"Care to share what happened to your wrist?" asked Natasha, making her way over to the fridge for some juice.

"Working," replied Tony, wishing the coffee machine would work faster, silently vowing to upgrade it next.

"Wasn't aware your bots had small hands," was all Natasha said in response.

Tony made a non committal noise and turned to fetch a clean mug out of the mug cupboard, exposing his face to the two assassins for the first time.

"Tony, if she give me any of the I-fell-down bullshit I know you're about to I'm going to shove you face in the toilet and give you a swirly," said Clint, eyeing the black eye on the billionaire. "So I'll only ask you this once, what happened to your eye?"

"Pepper broke up with me," said Tony.

"And she informed you by punching you?" said Natasha slowly.

"Something like that," muttered Tony. "Look, it's not a big deal. She was mad, she thought I cheated on her, which I didn't, but it's not the first time. It's nothing to freak out about."

"Not the first time she thought you cheated on her or not the first time she's hit you?"

"Yes," said Tony, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with the conversation. "But we all know I deserve it. So can we be done here?"

Natasha and Clint exchanged looks, communicating more in that silence than most couples did in a lifetime. Natasha quietly left the kitchen, patting a hidden knife in her sleeve as she went, leaving Clint and Tony alone in the kitchen.

"You're wrong, you know," said Clint after a moment of awkward silence. "No one deserves to get hit by someone they love."

And with that, Clint picked up his arrows and stood.

"Now, are you going to show me what these things can do or what?"

Tony smiled and followed the archer out, knowing that it wasn't the end of the conversation, knowing he didn't want to guess where Natasha had runoff to, but being okay with not being alone for the moment.

"The black one is controlled acid," said Tony, picking up speed as he talked, excited to explain his creations to someone who would appreciate them, if only because they were made for them. But even if Clint wasn't interested, he would have listened , it's what teammates did.


End file.
